Master of Music Education, Wind Conducting Emphasis The Hartt School 2010

Doctor of Musical Arts University of Missouri- Kansas City 2016

About Adam:

Adam V. Fontana is the new Director of Instrumental Music and Assistant Professor of Music at Bethel College in North Newton, KS. At Bethel, Fontana conducts the Wind Ensemble and Philharmonia Orchestra, and teaches courses in music and music education.

Fontana graduated with the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Conservatory of Music and Dance in May 2016, where he studied conducting with Steven D. Davis and served as a graduate teaching assistant of the Bands at the Conservatory. At UMKC, Fontana served as the manager of the Conservatory Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble, assisted with the instruction of undergraduate conducting courses, and taught undergraduate woodwind methods. In addition to his studies, Fontana also served as the Conducting Fellow of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City’s Symphony Orchestra for three seasons.

Fontana recently appeared as guest conductor of the UMKC Conservatory’s Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble, the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra, and the Cortlandt Chamber Orchestra. In May 2015, he conducted UMKC’s Musica Nova ensemble in the world premiere of David Stock’s Chamber Concerto for Saxophone, which featured PRISM Quartet member Zachary Shemon as soloist.

In March 2015, Fontana presented his research on Stanislaw Skrowaczewski’s Music for Winds at the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) National Conference in Nashville, TN. Fontana was the conductor and founder of the Hudson Valley Chamber Winds (HVCW), a professional chamber wind ensemble based in New York’s Hudson Valley. Under Fontana’s direction, HVCW collaborated with local music students and community organizations, and was selected to perform at the 2012 CBDNA Eastern Division Conference at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

As a clarinetist, he is a three-time performer in Carnegie Hall, performing with the Juilliard Orchestra (under the direction of Marin Alsop), The Hartt Wind Ensemble, and the National Collegiate Wind Ensemble. He also appears as a clarinetist on the Hartt Wind Ensemble's Naxos recordings, Raw Earth and Dragon Rhyme.

Fontana has nine years of public school music teaching experience in New York and Connecticut. He holds additional degrees in Music Education and Conducting from The Hartt School, Columbia University- Teacher’s College, and SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. He has previously studied conducting with Glen Adsit, Dr. Dino Anagnost and Dr. Timothy Topolewski; and studied clarinet with Dr. Alan Woy and Thomas Scott.